Mr. Bennetconsidered this subject to be extremely worthy of attention from the House. The situation of the prisons in Dublin was miserable in the extreme, and certainly it could not be too much lamented that any human beings should be confined in them. In a room extremely small, ten persons of both sexes have been huddled together for one night. The right hon. gentleman opposite had certainly done himself infinite credit by the humanity he had shown in personally visiting the prisons, and examining the various cases. With a view to take some measures on this subject, he moved, "That a Return be laid before the House of the number of persons, confined at any one period in the Marshalsea prison of Dublin during the last twelve months."
Mr. Peelentirely coincided in the opinion delivered by the hon. gentleman as to the miserable state of the prisons in Ireland, and should be happy to find that any measures could be taken which would lead to the amelioration of the condition of the wretched inmates of these prisons. Dublin, without doubt, required a new 1278 prison, and it would be infinitely better and cheaper for the magistrates of that city at once to erect a new prison, than to be always expending money in the repairs of their present wretched buildings. The room alluded to by the hon. gentleman, was not more than twelve feet by seven; and yet in it had ten miserable human beings been doomed to pass one night at one time. No temporary remedy could be of any avail, and he should therefore heartily concur in the motion of the hon. gentleman, with the hope of that motion leading to some useful measures.
§ The motion was agreed to.